 |
| Elizabeth Smart giving her keynote address. |
During
the luncheon, Elizabeth Smart shared her touching story of overcoming an
unthinkable tragedy and finally experiencing healing. In 2002, she was kidnapped from her home
while her parents slept. The entire
country was searching for this 14 year-old girl, and her hometown of Salt Lake
City was covered with fliers in hopes that someone had information that would
help bring her home.
Thankfully,
Elizabeth was rescued by police in 2003 after having been held hostage for nine
months. The nation rejoiced as she
returned home to her family.
We
were honored Elizabeth was able to join us, and we even discovered an
unexpected connection between Elizabeth and The Salvation Army.
Major
Carl Earp, commanding officer of the Dallas Adult Rehabilitation Center was
actually in Salt Lake City during the search for Elizabeth and picked up one of
the many fliers around town. In a
touching moment just before the luncheon began, Major Earp showed Elizabeth the
flier he kept for so many years as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
 |
| A full house listening to Elizabeth at this year's Fort Worth Luncheon. |
As
Elizabeth shared her powerful story, the audience was moved as she described a
night during her captivity when she and her captors actually turned to The
Salvation Army to find a hot meal.
Her
story served as a wonderful reminder that we never know whose lives we’re touching. Even as we held the luncheon, the homeless
and hurting throughout the DFW Metroplex were finding comfort in our centers.
We
truly offer our deepest thanks to those who attended and made this event such a
success. You are doing the most good for our community!
No comments:
Post a Comment